New Resource Guide Available to Help Rural Communities Address Substance Use Disorder and Opioid Misuse

On Tuesday, USDA Rural Development (USDA-RD) released a new guide designed to help rural communities access federal funds and resources to help communities address the opioid misuse epidemic. This resource is the first deliverable resulting from the Rural Opioid Federal Interagency Working Group, created by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) and USDA-RD. You can access the resource here: https://www.nado.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/RuralOpioidsReport2018.pdf. This tool has been released on the heels of the passage of HR 6, the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act, which was signed into law on October 24th. The bill makes several reforms to Medicaid and Medicare programs in order to expand substance abuse treatment and recovery options. The SUPPORT Act also includes a provision of $6 million in funding for rural health clinics and Federally Qualified Health Centers to provide treatment and support for individuals with substance use disorders.

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